Postdicting arrests for proactive and reactive aggression with the PICTS Proactive and Reactive composite scales

The criminal arrest histories of 262 medium-security male inmates were correlated with the Proactive (P) and Reactive (R) composite scales of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS). As predicted, only scores on the P scale correlated significantly with prior arrests for proactive aggression (robbery, burglary) and only scores on the R scale correlated significantly with prior arrests for reactive aggression (assault, domestic violence) when age, education, race, and marital status were controlled in a series of negative binomial regression analyses. The P and R scales also predicted the total number of arrests received by participants in this sample after these same four demographic measures were controlled. The implications of these results for the construct validity of the PICTS composite scales and for matching offenders to interventions are discussed.     

'This just isn't sustainable': precarious employment, stress and workers' health

This paper explores the impact of precarious employment relationships on health outcomes. It uses a novel framework, "Employment Strain" to describe the characteristics of different employment relationships and how they impact health outcomes. It uses interview data and comments provided on a survey to explore these issues. The paper begins by exploring if the health effects reported by mid-career individuals in precarious employment are different from those of younger and older workers. Finding limited evidence to support this hypothesis, the paper goes on to explore in detail the conditions under which precarious employment does increase stress and tension and impact health outcomes. It concludes that a combination of an individual's desire for more permanent employment, the expectation that permanent employment will be found, and the support individuals receive from various sources are critical to understanding the health effects of precarious employment.     

Comparison of outcomes of patients with personality disorder to patients with mental illness,following discharge from medium secure hospital: systematic review

Background: Medium secure hospitals (MSHs) are costly yet outcome studies, particularly regarding the differential effects of diagnosis, are scant. Research Question: Are there differences in outcomes after MSH discharge for patients with PD compared to patients with mental illness (MI): systematic review. Method: Systematically reviewed studies which distinguished outcomes for patients with PD from those with MI, regarding reconvictions, readmissions and/or mortality rates. Results: From eight studies, comprising 1017 patients, mean reconviction rates per 100,000 person-years for patients with PD were higher (14,369) than those with MI (7799). However, mean readmission and mortality rates were lower (8403 and 668 per 100,000 person-years) compared to those with MI (13,390 and 1083) per 100,000 person-years. Conclusions: Diagnosis appears to differentially impact on reconviction, readmission and mortality rates. Services could tailor pathways to prioritise symptom management and promoting healthy lifestyles for patients with MI, and reducing reoffending for patients with PD.     

Consent in escrow: opting to opt in

In this paper, we reply to Taylor''s (2015) peer commentary on consent-in-escrow. Specifically, we clarify the utility of this novel approach, the way in which it minimizes risks to participants, and how it differs from existing opt-out methods. We further explore its potential use in fields beyond disaster research.     

Lightning Deaths: A Retrospective Review of New Mexico's Cases, 1977–2009

To better understand lightning deaths, a retrospective review of electronic records from New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator database was performed between 1977 and 2009 to update and assess current risk factors. Information on demographics, circumstances, autopsy, and death certificates were collected and analyzed. Fifty‐four decedents were identified, ages 2–71 years old (mean 34 years old), 42 males and 12 females. Common racial/ethnic groups were non‐Hispanic Whites and American Indians (together comprising 72% of all cases). Physical findings were often related to the heat carried by the electrical current including clothing alterations (29.6%) and burning of skin (53.7%). Most deaths occurred on weekend afternoons in summer months, associated with recreational activities or agricultural work, and rural locations (77.8%). Utilizing the demographic information, clustered events, and associated outdoor activities will assist in creating public awareness and provide a framework to support targeted warnings in an attempt to prevent future deaths.     

Heterosexual,Cisgender and Gender and Sexually Diverse Adolescents’ Sexting Behaviors: The Role of Body Appreciation

Journal of Youth and Adolescence - Sexting has become part of the repertoire of adolescents’ sexual behaviors, especially among those who identify as gender and sexually diverse. Whereas body...     

Something old,something new: security governance in Iraq

The lack of a coherent security paradigm capable of explaining the concerns of both traditional and ‘new’ security is evident from the US-led occupation of Iraq. Security is the critical element in Iraq's reconstruction, and understanding the multiple meanings and relationships through which it is exercised is essential for empirical and analytical reasons, yet policy is flawed and the debate remains polarized. Thus Washington assumes that conventional security can be provided—and US power employed—independently of the relationship in which it is to be exercised, whereas Iraqi concerns focus on security at the level of the individual. The result can be seen in the paradigmatic examples of coalition operations in Basra in 2003 and Falluja in 2004. This article suggests that the interaction between coalition authorities and Iraqis, and, by extension, conventional and new forms of security, is best understood in terms of power relations; a comprehensive understanding of security must incorporate a relational dimension.